Evansville Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material Via Kik

EVANSVILLE- Brandon Kyle Meredith Adcox, 39, of Evansville, Indiana, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, on August 30, 2021, the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and a detective with the Evansville Police Department (EPD) received a CyberTip stating that between June 10 and June 15, 2021, 36 files containing child sexual abuse material had been uploaded and distributed using Kik Messenger, an instant messaging app.

Kik provided investigators with the email address associated with the account. The email address associated with the Kik account was registered in Adcox’s name, and records indicated the account was accessed from the Evansville apartment complex where Adcox lived. EPD officers obtained and executed a warrant to search Adcox’s residence. During execution of the warrant, Adcox agreed to answer questions and provide the passcode to his iPhone. Adcox confirmed that he was the owner of the email and Kik accounts and admitted to distributing and receiving child sexual abuse material via Kik on several occasions. He also admitted that several images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material would be found on his cell phone.

Upon investigation of the files, detectives found child sexual abuse material, including a video of an adult female performing oral sex on an infant than one year old.

“Criminals like this defendant use online platforms to share child sexual abuse materials and seek affirmation from others who share their sexual interest in children,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The dangerous predators who traffic in images of these horrific crimes re-victimize children for their own pleasure—and should take note of the sentence imposed today. The outstanding investigators and analysts at the Indiana ICAC, FBI, and EPD, will identify you and make our children safer by sending you to federal prison.”

“Those who sexually exploit children in this manner cause great harm to their young victims and deserve a strong punishment,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting children from offenders like him and will do everything we can to ensure such defendants are identified, investigated and prosecuted.”

The FBI and ICAC investigated this case with valuable assistance from the Evansville Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Adcox be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years following his release from federal prison. Adcox must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Todd Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.

This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a partnership of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies led by the Indiana State Police. The Task Force is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse.

In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc